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This is a post that can only be described as a double dose of awesome. It’s like one moment you’re soaking up a gallery of gorgeous from the lens of Theo Milo and the next you’re re-living every beautiful second as captured by Green Hope Productions (press play below). A stunningly beautiful day (think rustic garden paradise) and two vendors making sure we can bask in all of the pretty? Yes, please.

From Green Hope Productions… It was a perfect October day at The Atrium by Ligon Flynn- Wilmington’s secret garden, and my first time filming there. It was October 13th, 2013, my lucky number is 13 and the theme was “Lucky in Love” with a rustic chic decor.

The Atrium is a contemporary urban garden that once housed the livery stables for downtown Wilmington. By the 1970’s it had fallen into decay and architect Ligon Flynn purchase it and centered his design on the intersection of people and nature. He passed on in 2010, and in 2011, Jen of Salt Harbor Designs and Millie of Millie Holloman Photography stumbled upon the space, fell in love with it and opened it up for events. Some of the old brick walls remain exposed and others are painted white, beautifully framing the slender maple trees, oleander and other native plants as you walk in off 2nd St. Green ivy starts to crawl up the wall on the left, and then completely covers it as the yellow tin roof opens up to expose raw steel beams. I love the textures there- the greenery of the trees and the ivy, the history and the decay of the old brick walls and floors, the steel beams that reveal the starry sky, and the 20’ tall yellow fluted tin roof that adds to the understated grandeur and the simple elegance of The Atrium. I am especially in love with the tall ivy green wall, which serves as the backdrop for their ceremonies.

Stephanie & Cory met at the gym. Their first date was on the basketball court and she beat him at hoops. His mom knew Stephanie was probably the one when she heard that a tall, beautiful blonde girl had beat her son at his favorite game. Cory is a Navy Seal, so they knew they would be spending long stretches of time apart, which is one reason why they knew they wanted their day captured on film.

Stephanie rented an apartment for the weekend with beautiful old exposed brick walls in downtown Wilmington and large windows with lots of natural light. She greeted me with a warm smile while her friends got ready around her. She was my second bride this season that was married in TOMS. I love that with every purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. Her colors were yellow ochre and Navy blue. The girls wore long chiffon blue gowns with dark gray TOMS, and the guys wore white shirts with black suspenders, blue lace up TOMS and yellow ochre ties. I adored that the ties not only matched the yellow flowers, but also the yellow tin roof of the Atrium.

It was my first time working with Kickstand Events, and Emily Bell was as sweet as could be! I was never one for working with a blank canvas, so I am always amazed by the artistry that the wedding planners come up with. I toured The Atrium with Stephanie and Emily, and Emily tried explaining what it would all look like from the picture in her head. I was blown away by how Kickstand Events transformed the Atrium from the ceremony to the reception. It was so simple and perfect with yellow and white flowers in simple vases, with candles in between, and a table full of tall metal and glass lanterns along the ivy and brick wall.

I love Mason jars at weddings. Guests were invited to write their names on chalkboard stickers on their mason jars. The beautiful “Lucky In Love” programs came from Wedding Paper Divas. And all the chalkboard art was done by Stephanie.

I was very impressed by the girls from The Butler Did It, as they carried the long heavy, dark wooden benches from the ceremony site to the dining area around the corner. The reception area was assembled behind long beautiful sheer white curtains that blew gently in the late afternoon breeze. The ceremony space became the dance floor for the reception, and the starry night was illuminated by lines of small globe lights- my favorites.

It was my 2nd time working with Photographer Theo Milo. I love how his photography captures light and emotion with a very shallow depth of field. The first time I worked with him, his girlfriend Hannah did the bride’s hair. My second time working with him, she was his wife, and Stephanie’s hair was a soft, beautiful updo with a birdcage veil.

Theo chose a few different backdrops for their photoshoot following the ceremony. I usually follow the photographer’s lead with little input, and film the magic as it reveals itself. While we headed back from the waterfront, a live band played at a nearby bar. Stephanie grabbed Cory’s hand and they began dancing in the middle of Dock St. while their wedding party cheered them on. I adored Stephanie’s spontaneous spirit, and that her impromptu dance epitomized the heart of Green Hope Productions – “Capturing the magic while you’re caught up in the dance.”

Stephanie and Cory’s love of chips and salsa made Flaming Amy’s Burrito Bar the obvious choice to cater a serve yourself burrito bar complete with their delicious offering of salsas. The wooden dessert table from the Hot Pink Cake Stand was just as simple and beloved. A white cake with a simple yellow ochre flower and an off-white chevron design was topped with Mr. & Mrs. in cursive metal. It was surrounded with a few small trays bearing cookies and pink frosted cupcakes.

Four unforgettable toasts were another wonderful reason to have the wedding captured on film. Following the toasts, everyone danced, even the grandmas. There was chair dancing, a dance-off, even an impromptu limbo, thanks to a groomsmen’s belt.The night ended with a sparkler sendoff down 2nd St. where the red British Taxi was waiting for them. Usually this is where the night ends for us, but they drove around the block to Slice of Life pizza, where Cory & Steph started their marriage off with a pizza and beer date.